Collection and storage containers for liquid and semi-liquid materials



1969 c. VAN DER LELY 3,4 5,67

COLLECTION AND STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID. MATERIALS Sheet Filed May 1, 1967 INVENTOR 0 mm 15 vg /v DEA 150 W z/ w y Feb. 4, 1969 c VAN DER LELY 3,425,671

COLLECTION AND STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS Filed May 1, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 A? Fi INVENTOR Co -us VAN DEI? L 4 Y Orr! e 6 United States Patent 3,425,671 COLLECTION AND STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR LIQUID AND SEMI-LIQUID MATERIALS Cornelis van der Lely, Bruschenrain 7, Zug, Switzerland Filed May 1, 1967, Ser. No. 635,110 Claims priority application Netherlands, May 13, 1966,

6606565 U.S. Cl. 259122 Int. Cl. B01f 7/18, 7/20 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to collection and storage containers for liquid and semi-liquid materials such as organic manure.

For a better understanding of the invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a storage tank or settling pit in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on the line II--II of FIG- URE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line III-III of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, the storage tank or settling pit which is illustrated is intended for the collection and storage of liquid or semi-liquid materials such, for example, as farm yard or other organic manure or sludge. However, the tank or pit may, when required, be used for the collection and/or storage of clean water or of aqueous solutions of various chemicals. As can be seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the tank or pit '1 is of elongated shape enclosing a space 2 the opposite ends of which have walls of semi-cylindrical configuration. The greater part of the space 2 is intended to be located beneath the surface of the ground, said space being closed at its top by an upper wall or cover 3 and being provided with a flat bottom and substantially vertically extending side walls.

The upper wall or cover 3 is formed approximately centrally with a slot 4 that extends longitudinally of the tank or pit v1, parallel to its longer side Walls, between points which substantially coincide with the centers of curvature of the semi-cylindrical walls located at opposite ends of the pit. Two guide rails 5 are located at relatively opposite edges of the slot 4, on the upper surface of the wall or cover 3, and extend throughout the length of the slot 4. As can be seen in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, the guide rails 5 are secured in position with the aid of downwardly projecting rods 5A, that are welded to the rails 5, the rods 5A being embedded in the concrete of the upper wall or cover 3 during the formation of the latter. The upper flanges of the two guide rails 5 slidably support a substantially horizontal plate 6 whose opposite edges are bent over downwardly at relatively opposite sides of the pair of guide rails 5. The plate 6 also has two downwardly projecting extensions 7 that are located between the bent-over edges of said plate and the free edges of the upper flanges of the two guide rails 5.

The two extensions 7 afford a guide adapted to co-operate with the upper flanges of the guide rails 5, said extensions 7 being screw-threaded to carry nuts 9 of the kind having tommy bars 8 for tightening them. Clamping pieces 10 are maintained on the extensions 7 by the nuts 9 and it will be apparent from FIGURE 3 of the drawings that, upon tightening the nut 9, the plate 6 will be effectively clamped to the upper flanges of the guide rails 5 by the pieces 10.

The upper slide of the plate 6 carries a vertical bearing 11 for a vertical shaft 12 that is rotatable in said bearing and that is entered downwardly through a. hole in the plate 6, between the two guide rails 5 and through the slot 4 into the space 2. The lowermost end of the shaft '12 is located a short distance above the bottom of the tank or pit 1 at which point it carries a fork 13 to the limbs of which a supporting structure, generally indicated by the reference numeral 15, is turnably connected by a substantially horizontal pivot pin 14. The supporting structure 15 includes four arms 15A which project radially from the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12 at intervals around that axis. The arms 15A are of equal lengths and each one has a corresponding chain 16 connected to its free end. Each chain 16, in turn, has a blade, claw or like extension 17 fastened to the end thereof that is remote from the corresponding arm A. It can be seen from FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings that, when the four chains 16 are extending substantially radially, the blades, claws or like extensions 17 that are disposed in the regions of the semi-cylindrically surved end walls of the tank or pit are located closely adjacent to those end walls. It will be noted that the plate 6 is at one or the other end of the slot 4 at such a time. An electric motor 18 which is arranged to drive the shaft .12 is secured to the upper side of the bearing 11 by bolts 19.

An inlet 20 to the space 2 is provided in one of the longer non-curved side walls of the tank or pit 1 approximately centrally of that wall and towards the upper edge thereof. Liquid or semi-liquid materials can be introduced into the tank or pit 1 through the inlet 20. An opening 21, which is provided with a cover plate, is formed in the upper wall or cover 3 of the tank or pit '1 at a location more or less in line with the inlet 20* and, when required, liquid or semiliquid material can be extracted suctionally from the tank or pit through said opening 21.

When a semi-liquid substance, such as diluted organic manure or the like, has been introduced into the tank or pit 1 through the inlet 20 and has been stored in the tank or pit for a considerable length of time, the material tends to form a more or less thick crust and to settle out to some extent. This can be a source of difficulty in extracting the material from the tank or pit particularly if an extraction device is employed which includes a pressurized container. In order to render the material homogeneous, and thus less likely to cause difliculty during its delivery from the tank or pit 1, the material can be stirred by the rotatable agitator which comprises the shaft 12, the supporting structure 15 and the chains 16 and extensions 17 that are carried thereby.

The shaft 12 can be rotated quite rapidly by the electric motor 18 which will cause the blades, claws or like extensions 17 to move through the material at a considerable speed and closely along the Walls of the tank or pit 1. The whole of the supporting structure 15 can rock about the axis afforded by the pivot pin 14 which axis extends substantially horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft 12. When the nuts 9 are loosened, the plate 6 can he slid along the guide rails 5 from one end of the slot 4 to the other so that the arms 15A, chains 16 and extensions 17 will stir all the material in the tank or pit 1 to break up the crust and re-mix the settled out material to form a more or less homogeneous whole. The plate 6 can be retained at any desired position longitudinally of the guide rails 5 merely retightening the nuts 9 to clamp said plate to the rails 5 with the aid of the clamping pieces 10. A stirring operation of this kind which is performed immediately before delivery of the material from the tank or pit 1 considerably reduces the likelihood of difliculty in delivery and improves the uniformity of the delivered material.

What I claim is:

1. A collection and storage container for liquid and semi-liquid manure, said container being of elongated shape, said container having opposing walls one pair of which are of substantially semi-cylindrical configuration, the cover of said container being provided with a slot along which an agitator for the manure is displaceable in a substantially horizontal direction.

2. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slot is formed approximately centrally of said cover and guide means is provided at opposite sides of said slot for cooperation with a guide connected to said agitator whereby said agitator and guide can he traveled along said slot to agitate substantially the entire contents of said container.

3. A container as claimed in claim 2, wherein clamping pieces are provided for clamping said agitator in different positions longitudinally of said guide means.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposite ends of said slot substantially coincide with the respective centers of curvature of said substantially semicylindrical walls.

5. A container as claimed in claim 1, wherein said agitator includes a rotary shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing located above the highest level of material in said container, the lowermost end of said shaft being normally submerged and having a plurality of flexible members connected thereto.

6. A container as claimed in claim 5, wherein said flexible members are connected to the lower end of said shaft by a supporting structure.

7. A container as claimed in claim 6, wherein said supporting structure includes four arms that are spaced at angles of approximately 90 from one another about an axis, the free ends of said arms being connected to said flexible members.

8. A container as claimed in claim 7, wherein said flexible members are chains, each of said c'hains being provided at its free end with a blade extension.

9. A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein during rotation of said shaft, said blade extensions of said chains are positioned to pass closely adjacent to the walls of said container.

10. A container as claimed in claim 8, wherein said supporting structure is turnable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said agitator.

11. A collection and storage container for liquid and semi-liquid manure, the cover of said container having a slot, an agitator having a shaft extending through said slot, said agitator comprising a plurality of arms pivotally secured to the lower end of said shaft and means for rotating said arms positioned above said shaft outside said container.

12. An underground collection and storage container for liquid and semi-liquid manure, said container having opposing walls defining an enclosed elongated space at least part of which is underground, one pair of said walls being of substantially semi-cylindrical configuration, said container having a cover with a slot therein along which an agitator for the manure is displaceable in a substantially longitudinal direction.

13. A container as claimed in claim 12, wherein said slot is formed approximately centrally of said cover and guide means is provided at opposite sides of said slot for cooperation with a guide connected to said agitator whereby said agitator and guide can be traveled along said slot to agitate substantially the entire contents of said container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 680,598 8/1901 Jones 259-116 X 1,866,227 7/1932 Shaughnessy 259102 1,995,998 3/1935 Nefedov- 259-101 X 3,223,290 12/1965 Schuld 259108 X 3,284,058 11/1966 Bolton 2591O2 ROBERT W. JENKINS, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 259l08 

